We all want to improve our abilities, to feel that magical feeling of inner satisfaction when we manage to do something much better than we were able to do it the day before. It is part of our human nature.
But the day to day catches us and we barely have time to dedicate to training our skills. If someone would help us a little, everything would be easier, right?
Feedback is necessary for learn and grow but how do we get the feedback we need? If our boss is short on words, how can we cheer them up? Who else should we ask to help us improve? Asking for an evaluation is not always an easy task, but it is an essential part of our career development.
1. When to ask for feedback
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If in our company they do performance evaluations we have it easy, we can take the opportunity to ask about our performance and delve into the points in which we have more questions.
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Our day to day is full of small moments in which it may be appropriate to openly ask for feedback. Continuous feedback will give us more opportunities to grow in our career.
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At the end of a particular task, we can ask how we have done it or how it can be improved in the next project. Better sooner rather than later. We can take advantage of different moments to gather points of view about our activity, it is not necessary to do it all in one conversation!
It is not necessary that it always take place as a serious conversation or a scheduled meeting, we can take advantage of the moments in which we work together with someone who could give us effective feedback or, for example, when leaving a meeting. Nor do we have to limit ourselves to asking for feedback once a year, the more times we ask for feedback, the more comfortable they will give it to us and it will end up being something natural.
2. How to ask for feedback
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If we ask the typical question of "How am I doing?" we will get the typical short answers. It is better to ask specific questions, asking for examples and details to make sure how to improve and what action to take.
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What could improve? In this way we are making it clear that we assume that there is at least one thing that we can improve and it will be less difficult for the other person to start.
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What could you have done better in this task/meeting/presentation? We should avoid questions that may lead to yes or no answers.
It is important that we focus on the future. We must direct the questions to what can be done better in the future as opposed to what was done wrong in the past. When we ask what we can do to be more efficient in the future, people tend to answer more honestly.
3. Who to ask for feedback
Our boss or supervisor are not the only ones qualified to give us feedback. Our colleagues also have very valuable information to help us improve. When it comes to progress, it's not enough to just look at the top of the organization chart. And our clients are a fundamental piece, through them we will not only know what to do better in the future, but also what they expect from us and compare it with what we are offering.
The most important thing is that we go in with an open mind and accept feedback graciously. If we get defensive they won't give us real feedback and will just be polite. We must listen without judging the feedback we receive, whether positive or negative. Always thanking people for being honest with us and always letting them know that they have given us very useful information.
By writing down what they tell us, we get across that we're taking feedback seriously and give them time to think about what else they could say.
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If you think your team or organization should test the beneficial effects of continuous feedback, encourage them to try Hrider!